Edanoshin Katsura, 23, is shaking up the world of rakugo, a highly stylized form of Japanese comedy. As the founder of Z Rakugo, a Shibuya-based collective redefining rakugo for Gen Z, he’s pulling the art form into the future — one punchline, one beat drop at a time.
1. You started your rakugo journey at just 15, training under Katsura Edasaburo III. What drew you in at such a young age? I’ve loved rakugo for as long as I can remember. The first time I saw it, I was 5 — just a kid in a hall full of old people, watching a performer switch voices, turn left, turn right and suddenly the whole room was laughing. I started watching it on TV, reading rakugo books and memorizing stories. By elementary school, I was performing for friends, then at school events and family gatherings. Before I knew it, I was doing 150 performances a year.
2. Were you a natural storyteller as a child? I was ridiculously talkative. I’d start conversations with strangers, chat up people at izakaya (Japanese pubs), even pour them drinks. I was that kid.
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